Back to Malone, New York....which means SNOW!!!!

I'm home from an amazing trip in Austria, and am greeted by Veronica, Mags, and a whole lot of snow!!!

Nurture

The nature of nature...
So raw
So pure
Flowing easily
Doing what it does best
Honest and true
No hidden agendas
Content and effortless

We humans should do our best to follow in the footsteps of Nature...
Nurture our Nature!

Inspired by the Three-Legged Dog From Chester Avenue!!!

file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Christopher/My%20Documents/My%20Videos/Isaiah.MSWMM

i'm teaching christopher how to use the blog!

i agree

you have said it best
i agree
welcome home

Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Home Again...

As I descend, each step leaves behind a bit of stress.
Finally, as I settle into my niche,
my soul absorbs the surroundings.
Birds gently sing,
schools of fish fight the ever-changing currents,
gulls swoop,
fish jump,
bugs bug,
and gusts of wind haphazardly blow.
Shimmering trees flicker,
flowers dance,
and the sun sparkles randomly on the churning, lapping water as the river flows.
As the mesmerizing clouds continue to creep,
time and life briefly pause.
With the mind, body, and spirit comfortably relaxed,
I am home once again.

It amazes me how something so unpredictable can be so constant.

Mrs. Elcorn

An Update

Dear Family,
I hope all is well! I am doing so incredibly:) Here is an update of my ten day break I spent in Athens, Naxos, and Santorini, Greece. So beautiful! I went with my two roommates: Megan and Nicole and our three friends: Johnny, Anthony, and Ian. It was a great trip, I will treasure it always- great food, beautiful scenery, lots of laughing...all in good company. I hope you enjoy:

The Parthenon, Athens

Johnny, Anthony, and Ian- such great guys, they took good care of us girls:)

On top of the Parthenon, view of Athens.

Naxos, Greece...this was our beach!

Naxos at sunset..

We rented ATV's and explored the island: here is a picture of Naxos while we were driving.

Santorini, Greece

I was ready to go! So much fun!

Out to dinner in Santorini. This was such a fun night. We sat on the rooftop of this resauraunt. Lots of laughs..

This was our first night in Santorini. In the background you can see the beach that we spent most of the days there at. It was literally 10 feet from our hotel-right across the street. Incredible!

Our beach in Santorini-what we woke up to every morning!

Miss and love you all,

CLAIRE BEAR

Music is well said to be the speech of angels -- Thomas Carlisle

I can report that Claire Frances is alive and doing well -- very well! Parents' Week at Franciscan University in Gaming, Austria brought me to see a Claire who is on her way to great health. You would all be happy to know that she has two tremendous roommates, Nicole and Megan. The place that she lives in right now -- the same place that Maureen resided in two years ago -- is one, huge, sweet, great and beautiful slice of heaven. We have no idea... Claire and formerly, Maureen, live in Franziskus Haus, the Gaming Residence Hall. You wake up and engage in a view that is a dream.

On my fifth night there, Claire and I met up in Austria, hopped off a bus, checked into the hotel that we were sharing with about 150 or so students and parents, and walked down the Karntner Strauss to see the Vienna Symphony Orchestra at the Musikverein. And what pieces! The one that Claire loves, Beethoven's 5th Piano Concerto, particularly the adagio portion, was worth the trip to Austria, alone!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XttTpZHQgJw

Just click on this link and you'll see why Clairehead and I love this piece. In the video that the above links up to, Glenn Gould, one of the best pianists ever, does a super job. Plus Glenn Gould was nuts!!

Because the concert was sold out, we had crappy seats, but who cared! It was absolutely great. We also so the Patetique Symphony 6 by Tchaikovsky. Kathleen and I saw the OSM do this piece with a very famous conductor, Valerie Gergiev. No one does it better than Charles Dutoit
http://youtube.com/watch?v=M1J5912WbAQ and click this link and you'll find out why. The word pathétique is often misunderstood by native English speakers due to the negative meaning of the modern pathetic. The term means "with pathos" and denotes a passionate rhetorical character intending to evoke sorrow. If you hang in to the end of the piece, it will move you -- or you are already dead.

The venue where the concert was played was the Musikverein, (Music Society), a beautiful old-style concert hall.

The Musikverein in Vienna, Austria was opened on January 6, 1870, and is famous for its acoustics. It is considered to be one of the three finest concert halls in the world, along with Boston's Symphony Hall and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, and is home to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
The concert hall was built by the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (Society of Friends of Music) which had been given the land by Emperor Franz Joseph. The building soon came to be known simply as the Musikverein ("music club"). A historic organ was installed in the Konzerthaus by the Austrian firm Rieger in 1907.
The Goldener Saal (Golden Hall) is forty-eight metres long, nineteen metres wide, and eighteen metres high. It has 1,744 seats and standing room for 300. Every year on January 1 the Vienna New Year's Concert is held here.

Great time!

-Joe

the straight scoop on blacky

But first, views from the tyke:

Used to be, we all attacked the flies, crickets and other invaders in our home with gusto. But the tyke has now learned that they are all God's creatures. Now the preferred method is to shoo them out the door alive.
Yesterday I got a question from the back seat "Grandpa, who made the road?". "The city... well maybe it was the county."
"No, Jesus. He did a lot of stuff."


I was surprised to hear that 'Blacky' is still alive in the old Garrett neighborhood. This is how it started. I had an early morning paper route. The papers were dropped off in a green wooden box in front of the house, usually around 3 AM. My friend Mark and I would occasionally sleep on the front porch, and get up early to deliver the papers.

It was a quiet night a week or so before Halloween. We got up around 3:30 am to do the route, but the papers had not yet arrived. As we waited for the newspapers, we took a stroll down the street. We were about three houses from the bottom of the street when Mark suddenly stopped, and motioned me to do the same. He pointed, and quietly asked me "Do you see that?". I looked where he was pointing and saw a shadow hovering approximately thirteen feet above the manhole cover on the sewer.

As you may recall, Garrett Ave sloped downward forming a decent hill. At the bottom Garret formed a tee with Hudson Ave. There was a field on the other side of Hudson. The sewer protruded from the ground about a foot or so, and was situated in the field a couple feet from the curb and in line with the center of Garrett. More than once, a late night driver relocated that sewer when they ran out of road. Whether anyone perished in these accidents I do not know, but I sure wondered about it that night.

We looked intently at the dark figure, trying to determine if it was indeed a shadow. We decided that surely it must be, so we cautiously advanced. When we began moving forward, the dark figure seemed to fly upward and backward, out of sight. We then backed up to our original position, whereupon it reappeared. We repeated this experiment several times, with the same result. Thoroughly spooked, we returned home, and awaited our papers in the safe confines of the porch. We were extra watchful as we delivered the papers that morning at the break of day.

We told our friends and neighbors about the incident that day. Most people laughed it off, and by evening, the mysterious shadow had aquired it's name - Blacky. Kids ran wild in the neighborhood that night supposedly looking for Blacky. I was turned off by the revelry, because for Mark and me this thing was the real deal.

We returned on subsequent nights to the same spot, but never saw this apparition again. I don't know what forms this story has evolved into, but this is how it began.

The chestnut tree lady

Blacky Lives...

For the elders in the family, you know who you are, I'll have you know that Blacky lives on...
My challenge is this... Soon, and I really mean soon, take a minute and tell your version of who, what, and where "Blacky" was... or is...
As my memory serves me... Blacky "lived" at the bottom of Garrett Avenue in Niagara Falls. It "apparently" was a ghost figure that came out only at night and "hovered" a few feet above the ground right in the center of the grassy area at the bottom of the street. "He" only appeared every once in awhile, but many sightings were "witnessed" by many different people.
That's my story, what's yours???
For all you non-active readers out there, here is your chance to share a bit of ole folklore, of dayz gone by... or have they????
For all you younger readers, ask your parents who Blacky is... first they will laugh and then make them spill the beans...
BEWARE, by HALLOWEEN the "authentic" history of Blacky will be told and then it will be too late for the "elders" to share their version...
Good luck and Good day!!!
By: The Crabapple Lady

Where Are They Now?

Maureen and Claire were, truth be told, good little girls. Most of their cousins have memories of their quick wit and lethal laugh. But here, a tender moment...

A birthday party for Maureen. From Left to Right: Sara Clark, who is presently living with her parents in Africa, Kenya to be specific, in a mission serving the poor; Jessica Dumont, who is going for her Master's Degree in Education at SUNY Plattsburgh; Claire, who is presently stationed in Austria -- perhaps Greece at this writing -- at Franciscan University; Sarah Hamilton, who I think is going to college in Plattsburgh; and Maureen, who had some very nice slippers on, and is in Grad School at SUNY Albany for Library Science.

Finally, for those who have not seen one of my favorite videos, give yourself a treat and click on the following link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA I hope it works.

And finally, if you, too, are fed up with watching movies where you must suffer through bad acting, let me give you a sample of acting at its best -- capturing the rage and emotion: http://youtube.com/watch?v=qxFQcxy2jFg

Hey family! Just a little pictorial update...hope you enjoy!

DALMATION COAST-SPLIT, CROATIA

Miss you all! Thank you to all those who have written-please continue to do so! And if you haven't...please do!

All my love,

CLAIRE

ten great glories

10 great glories knit the land,
together linked hand and hand,
1 for those who wear the crown,
2 for those who keep hatred down,
3 and 4 are physical binds,
5 and 6 deal with mental twines,
7 heals the ill and sick,
8 puts evil's existance at risk,
9 gives people happiness in wealth,
and 10 helps all but himself

written by pollywag

Fall Before the Rise

Last Thursday I had an interview at the New York State Public Library. I was really nervous because I never had a real interview for a job before. I worked at Franciscan as a tutor and at Dad’s office. It’s a really nice library, and it is very close to my apartment, probably a ten-minute walk. This library is on the seventh floor of this building, which also contains a museum. When Claire was visiting me, before she went on her European escapades, we went on a walk and walked through the museum together. It was a fun day and she mentioned that it would be good if I could get a job at the museum because it was so close.
So, lets go back to last Thursday. I had recently cleaned my room, but on the morning of the interview, there were shirts and pants and shoes scattered across the room, with an especially large pile in front of the mirror. I finally managed to find an outfit that didn’t make me nauseous. I was a bit jittery that morning. I gathered the papers that I was going to bring along and a book to read while waiting. My interview began at one o’clock, but I left the apartment to begin the ten-minute walk at 11:45. Although I didn’t get much out of that hour of reading, I was able to look around the library for a bit. It has a great view of the city way up on the seventh floor. It has a huge genealogy section. There were two women that were asking about how it works (not that I was listening) and trying to figure out their family tree. The minutes finally crept to ten to one. I thought to myself, ten minutes early is appropriate. So, I packed away my prop of a book and headed toward the desk. I asked for the reference librarian who would be doing the interview. I followed her to the elevator and went down a floor. I was amazed to find the skeleton of the library. There were many offices and the old card catalogs. It also contained the room where I was going to be interviewed. I walked in and they asked me a few general questions. “So tell me a little bit about your work experience…” I had asked a friend about what to expect from an interview. She said that something that threw her off was that her interviewer asked what her weaknesses were. I had my weakness ready to go… and they didn’t even ask the question. The interview lasted 45 minutes. I walked in surprisingly relaxed and we chatted for a while after the interview was done. They said that they would let me know either Monday or Tuesday.
I was pretty excited and confident once the interview was over, and found myself daydreaming of a job there. I was trying not to get my hopes up too high… but it couldn’t be helped, it was my dream job for college! Come on! Money, Resume, Great View, Nice People… cant ask for more. So Monday is a busy day for me class wise. At around seven at night I roll into the apartment very tired, but there was a spring to my step as I popped open the computer to check my e-mail. Nothing. A little disappointed, but not all hope was squashed. Tuesday, I have a class from 4-7 and I tore up the stairs that night and flipped open the computer… this was it… moment of truth. Nothing. I let disappointment sink in… then I let frustration bear its ugly head… then reality sank in… I have to find another job which would mean another interview… in a place that would be compared to the NYS Library! (I know I know… you’re thinking it… its dorky… but look at my major… I’m entitled to a bit of dork!)
Wednesday I had a test, a test which took three hours (full class time) to finish so I was beat afterwards and I bummed out for most of the afternoon. Then I went into a cleaning rampage. I mean hard-core cleaning! Floors windows, you name it… it shone by seven o’clock. I felt better, perhaps me cleaning got out a bit of frustration that I had kept bottled up about the interview. So I plopped down on my cozy chair (which is another story) and called up the parents. I talked to them both. Dad suggested I call the library, and I was determined not to… I didn’t want to hear a no! Dad said that he strongly disagreed. But I had accepted the fact that I would not be working there. Mom was encouraging which made me feel a bit better after the conversation. After that I made some tea, and relaxed, realizing tomorrow I would be on the job hunt. SO, I soaked in my relaxation. I then decided to check my e-mail and facebook to see how Claire’s Euro life was going. I farted around on the computer and then checked my Albany e-mail address. I saw the reference librarian’s name, and was sure that it was a letter saying they were sorry, but they have someone else for the job, but thanks for showing interest. I opened it up… and they wanted me to work there!! I jumped out of my comfortable chair, jumped up and down and started pacing as a called up mom (who was in bed) and told her my news.
Yes, dear family, phase one of transformation into librarian has begun! I’ve got the glasses, and I’m working on the bun!

View of Salzburg and the Alps.

One of the most beautiful statues I have ever seen. It was in St. Michael's Church in Munich, Germany.

My friends Laura and Abby and I at lunch in Salzburg.


This is taken in the village I'm living in: Gaming, Austria. It is like a little charming story book town- so beautiful!

Enjoying some ice cream in Salzburg.

My roommates (Megan and Nicole) and I in front of the VonTrapp Family house ("The Sound of Music").

Miss and love you all!

Hello everyone! I hope this finds you well and happy!

I am doing very well- I love Austria. It is so beautiful. I spent my past weekend in Salzburg-the home of Mozart and "The Sound of Music" and in Munich, Germany. It was such a great weekend. There was alot of singing of Do-Re-Me and eating of Weinersnitchel.

This weekend I go to Medjugorje, Bosnia. It is a small town where Mother Mary has appeared. Many miracles have occured here. If there are any prayers or intentions you want me to offer there, email me and let me know. Know you all have been in my prayers and continue to be in my prayers everywhere I go and every church I go into.

Rear Window

I've never considered myself an overly nosy person. Upon reflection of my recently developed habit of snooping out my windows, I'm afraid I am a Curious George. In the curious George books, there is a moral at the end of the story... watch for mine.
The interest I have in my neighbors began innocently, as do most habits. I was sitting at my desk which strategically faces my window. I would notice the young family directly across from me, sharing my late nights by pacing with their little baby in arm hoping for the ever sought after rest of a parent that is rarely fulfilled. While observing them, i felt quite happy with my quiet little apartment.
As time went on my eyes continued to wander. This time, it is the woman with the dog. She is a woman who looks as though she has limited means. She would be the closest to Miss Lonely Hearts. She is often dressed in a floral moo moo in her limited back yard space making conversation with her pitiful looking dog, who I'm certain has seen better days. His slumped head reveals the burden of his master's woes. She was quite the entertaining bird.
The rooftop girls, the dancers. Across from my apartment, on the top floor there are two girls, probably undergraduates. You know, the girl's desperate for attention. The type of girl that will do anything to steal the show. There is a blond and a brunette. When the weather was warmer. Their apartment opens up onto the roof where they sport their barely there swim wear, big shades, music, and of course their cell phones. They would wave and yell to the passersby on the street below. These noisy girls spent their days sunbathing and discussing rather interesting drama about people I didn't know, but it did not stop me from listening. Quite entertaining.
The Desperate Housewives. There is a woman who lives in the apartment next to me and was having a barbecue one afternoon with several of her friends. I was innocently doing some of my reading until the deluge of gossip flooded my ears and sent interest shooting up my spine. As i stood up to get a better listen and put faces to the voices I saw about five well dressed woman who were chatting over Coronas and appetizers. The smell and sounds were intoxicating and before i knew it, i was perched on top of my desk drinking it all in. I began to feel for a certain friend of theirs who was unable to attend, by the time the chicken was being served i knew more about her than some of my close friends. After the food was served they all sat down in the lounge chairs set up in a circle to facilitate the flow of conversation. It was more difficult to hear them now, so i decided to try to open my window a bit more as i was sitting down on my desk. Unfortunately, I was unaware of the groan of my window as it is opened or shut. As i swung it opened. One of the women said "What the heck is that?!" Out of the corner of my eyes i saw her head begin to turn toward my widow. In a panic, i scrambled off and proceeded to fall off of the desk, onto the floor. My face immediately turned a deep red, and I moved myself and my work to the kitchen table to avoid any further embarrassment from my big ears.

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree

I was going through some of our old Nichols Family photographs. I came across this photograph of Matilda Nichols, my great, great Aunt and Nellie Nichols, my other great, great Aunt. Both were French Canadians and lived in the Trois Rivier area in Quebec. It is absolutely fascinating how much these two ladies look like my sons John and Paul.

What to call the opening last night of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra season? That's what Paul and I -- well at least I -- asked myself last night. Paul actually fell asleep at the end of the first piece. His deep sonorous, (or was it snoring?) breathing at the end of the first piece pulled me into action as I had to elbow him to wake up! Concert does not quite describe what we saw, although a concerted effort it certainly was, indoors, outdoors, on radio, television and the Internet, and featuring what one presumes was the first performance led by a real-time holographic image of Kent Nagano.
The outdoor folks got that eye-popping premiere, on the vacant northeast corner of Place des Arts, so I cannot testify to the calibre of the technology or how Mozart's Adagio and Fugue sounded as played by student musicians on loan from the Conservatoire and the Universite de Montreal. Paul and I paid to watch the indoor part of the concert. This is something Paul prefers because he can easily order Hagen Daas ice cream during the intermission.

I can report the evening succeeded as an occasion, and one that, happily, did not subsume the music.
It all started outdoors, a little after sunset, with Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue as performed for a crowd of about 3,500 by pianist Alain Lefvre, the student orchestra and the genuine, corporeal Nagano. The effect of Gershwin's masterpiece of urban romance, as dusk settled and the lights of Complexe Desjardins where the jazz festival outdoor concerts are held.
People could watch the stage or a video image on the exterior wall of Salle Wilfrid Pelletier.
Nagano then rushed indoors to conduct the MSO. There were some unexpected visuals here, too, as a backdrop projection of the Montreal skyline alternated with more abstract images, for the benefit of the television and Internet transmissions. A cherry-picker camera, photographers and 3 other television cameras lent further weirdness to the setting.
Amid all this emerged the famous opening (think 2001 A Space Odyssey) of Strauss's Sprach Zarathustra. The MSO account caught my ear, and kept it, though Strauss's alternately rapturous, mordant and comic reflections on Nietzsche and the progress of man seemed to send Paul into either a rapturous or mordant or comic sleep.
Still, this did not have the polish of a top-notch MSO performance, which might be forthcoming in the repeat of the concert tonight (which will be without, as we Catholics say, the smells and bells... as the outdoor portion will not be repeated tonight). It should be noted an extra element was added to the debate between the B Major woodwinds and the C Major double basses at the end: A cellphone siding with the woodwinds. I can't get over it -- the last two concerts I have gone to has had a cell phone ring during the most quiet of moments!
After intermission (during which Nagano conducted Samuel Barber's Adagio, outdoors) we heard the Mozart, with Nagano dressed in a white suit that would not disgrace Sammy Davis Jr. - this was necessary for the holographic transmission for the outside concert goers. He was back in black tails as contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux took to the stage for three Mozart arias. Non so piu, from The Marriage of Figaro. Ms. Lemieux was as pregnant as can be without breaking water on stage. With each note the baby would take a new position -- I was not alone, as many of us looked away from her on the high notes, expecting perhaps a spontaneous birth on a sustained high-C.
Then Nagano concluded with Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel, a comic masterpiece full of pictorial elements. The pace and the atmosphere were both relaxed. But the story behind it will tell you what passes for "humor" in Strauss's time: it details a pixie, who disguises himself as a priest and makes fun of God, and ends up being very worried about his transgression. Listening to the music, which has no words, brought none of this out, but if you read the program notes, you'd be informed... Anyways, it is a good piece of music and it was not a bad way to end a very busy and frenetic evening.

The Summer Adventure

This is my summer adventure....my Uncle Bernie came to visit. He came along to "Lowe's Build It" where we made a desk calendar.

We then went to get my pet hamster "Mocha" who is only 5 months old. I earned it by taking care of my class pet for the summer, now I am responsible. Uncle Bernie also helped to set up the cage. Thanks for coming here U. Bernie!
For the rest of the summer I played with our next door neighbors. I also took some classes; mini mosaics, paper mache, VBS, and religious ed. I started school this week. My teacher, Ms. Hamilton, is really nice. I hope everyone's summer went well and will end well. Love Andrea

Greetings from Austria!

8/29/07

I made it! I'm here safe and sound in the little town of Gaming, Austria.

The flight went smoothly, though I did sit next to a guy named "Boris". Boris happened to be obsessive compulsive and kept wiping his phone with glass cleaner and picking at his leg. But I asked Boris about Austria, and he replied nicely with a thick German accent.

Yesterday I went to the Danube River which was surrounded by a quant town, home of the castle that King Richard the Lionheart (think Robin Hood) was held prisoner in. We then went to an old Boroque Benedictan Monestary for lunch and Mass. It was such a great day. This weekend I am headed over to Vienna.

The scenery is so beautiful here. I love how fresh and clean the air is. It's an incredible experience--I'm so excited for what's ahead!

Again...please keep in touch while I am here! I will keep you all posted...

Love and prayers,

Claire

--Danube River...view from top of a mountain:)

Auf Wiedersehen!!!

As some of you know, this Sunday I'll be heading over to Austria for the semester. I'd love to hear from you all- whether its by a visit, mail, and/or e-mail! Please keep in touch while I'm gone:) Here's my address and my e-mail:

Mailing Address:
Student Name

Franciscan University of Steubenville

Kartause 1

A-3292 Gaming, NO

Austria, EUROPE

Emial:

cfrancesatn@yahoo.com

I hope everyone had a great summer! Enjoy the remainder of it.....

Love & prayers,

CLAIRE

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the LORD directs his love

The summer is fading fast away. For the boys and girls, it was a summer of water, water, everywhere!

It is tough to beat this type of fun. See what a time of it you can have if you say "yes" to Uncles Tom, Paul, Phil and Jay???

Then, of course, there are the less adventurous of us, who did not mind sunbathing around sunset at the shores of Lake Ontario. In this "Where's Waldo" photograph, see if you can pick out Paul, who is ever-searching for the just-right rock. Joan seems to be basking in the sun and in the love and energy of the chicks.

Magdalene also turned 6 years old and her cousins turned out for the party. We celebrated by going to Marineland and Game Farm with cake afterwards.

-- Joe

Horse Poo

Sick
Smelly
Yucky, too!
Stinky
Poopy
Grainy!!!

By: Guess Who???
(tom???)

Silver Tooth

I had a great time at Niagara falls with

the family, and i would like to thank the

family for having a great time with me.

Grandma, Paul, and I went on a very

nice walk this moring through a frisbee-

golf course. When we got to our destination

(a dock somewhere i forget), we saw an old

man with a silver tooth. In his hand he held

a clipbourd with yellow paper on it.

While we were on the dock, my first thought

was that he worked there. Grandma was talking

to him while I watched the Whirlpool Jet speeding

past us. I walked toward grandma and silver-tooth

(I think his name was Paul), I realized he didn't work

there, he was observing there. He was in the middle

of a story he was telling grandma, so i didn't really know what he

talking about. Ask Grandma about it sometime, I'm sure she'll

tell you the story.

Thanks again everyone for welcoming me

in your houses. I had a great time with you all.

Oh yeah, and remember, tell silver-tooth I said hi,

Grandma ;)

- John Nichols

John

you all heard about this kid named john.right?? well he is a pretty cool kid but he smells!!

Fish Anyone???

One highlight for me so far this past summer was when a third of the family got together for a "mini family reunion", as Zito coined it, to cool off on the Delaware River. On our second day paddling with about 11 boats in the foatilla, we stopped off at The Red Barn Rapids. (Perhaps Uncle Phil can add a few of his awesome pictures one day...) Even Ole Aunt Denise shot through the playful rapids.
While paddling, my nephew Paul executed a most stealthy surprise attack of a Boat-By Fishing. You see, a few years back while frolicking on the river, a once non-contact sport/game was born. "Canoe ball" as it is now known, was created. The object of the game is to successfully throw a ball so it lands inside another person's canoe or kayak. Well, this particular day I passed by a freshly deceased Shad fish. I immediately said, "that would be worth ten points if thrown into a boat!" So I asked Zito to intercept the fish and after he handed it to me, I then passed it on to Paul, who seemed anxious to execute the mother-load ten point bundle. After Paul was in possession of the fish, it took about another hour for him to lock-in on his intended target. The victim was none other than the loud shriek-screaming Lauren. As Paul non-suspectingly paddled up to "say hello" to Lauren's boat, she had no idea what was about to be plopped almost on her lap. As soon as Paul flung the fish in between Lauren's legs, the screech that could be heard for miles away, was echoing up and down the river. The many loud laughs at Lauren's expense could equally be heard. The ear-to-ear smile on Paul's face could also be seen for quite a distance and for a long while afterwards. You could just tell it was all worth the patient wait. Most of us that were in on Paul's "little secret", somehow realized that this was to be one of the highlights of the day. And as it turned out, it was... at least for most of us.
I would at this time, also like to award The Most Commited To Participating award to the Nichols family. It is great to hear of your going-ons and what yall are up to! You certainly set a wonderful example for "anyone" in our family to follow, though most still sadly "refuse" to participate. A "family" newspaper, now via Blog, is truly only as good as it's ACTIVE participants.
I hope and trust that all is well with everyone and you continue to have a healthful, happy, and activity-filled summer!!! Rock on, rock out, and rock it!!!! Cheers, Red

Here is a poem that I came across that I found quite moving... hope you enjoy...Maureen

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Desiderata, Max Ehrmann.

Montreal 07 Part 4 Keith Jarrett

Pianist Keith Jarrett has to climb a mountain of expectation every time he performs.
Audiences know he is capable of breathtaking, bravura performances. They also know about his finicky and testy side when things don't go right.
Which Jarrett would Maureen, Luke, Claire and I get?
Adding to the mystique is the fact he suffered from debilitating chronic fatigue syndrome, which he contracted in 1996 and which left him unable to play at all for a couple of years.
It was a long road back and last night at the Salle Wilfrid Pelletier of Place des Arts, Jarrett showed why so many music fans rejoiced when he began to play again in 2000.
He is a pianist of sublime touch and an improviser of unsurpassed brilliance. Those gifts were in full display.With long-time collaborators Gary Peacock on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums, he plumbed the emotional depths on standards, ballads and blues - tunes that in the hands of anyone else might seem cliched.
The evening was thick with anticipation as Jarrett, clad in a turquoise vest, took the stage and wiggled his fingers at the audience. "Warmup exercises,' he joked. Soon, he was up to his old devices, standing up from the piano bench to deliver blistering runs and moaning with emotion as he sank into thick chords. The trio, in its third decade of existence, had a level of unconditional trust that allowed for completely free interplay on ballads such as Spring Can Really Hang You Up A Lot and I Thought About You.
Jarrett voiced his dense chords like nobody else, and his melodic lines were so long that you never quite knew where they were headed.
Peacock's deep-bottomed bass always seemed to lay down the right harmonic framework, while DeJohnette was appropriately understated. On up-tempo tunes like The Way You Look Tonight, they played lightly together, making great music.

Before they came out for the obligatory encore, digital cameras were going off all over the place. Mr. Sensitive, (Jarrett) took the opportunity to yell at those with cameras to "Stop taking those f******* pictures if you want to hear more music." Then, he lectured the crowd about overindulgence in electronics. A small price to pay for a good time.

Montreal '07 Part 3 Joshua Redman Trio

Kathleen, John, Alex and I were at the Theatre Mainsoneve last night, and we were glad we went.

Saxophonist Joshua Redman is one of the most charismatic and successful artists in jazz. His success is deserved, and it's been keeping him busy.
He founded the SFJAZZ Collective, a composer's "workshop" band dedicated to new music. He also served as the artistic director of the San Francisco Jazz Spring Season for seven years, and has released eleven recordings as a band leader.
Redman's newest CD is Back East. Redman's inspiration for Back East came from Sonny Rollins' classic recording Way Out West. Redman says it all happened rather randomly. "I had my itunes on shuffle and 'I'm an Old Cowhand' from Way Out West came on and it just blew me away. I rarely have these moments of inspiration but immediately I said 'I've got to do my own version of this song.'"
Even before that inspiring moment, Redman knew he wanted to do a stripped-down acoustic trio record—just sax, bass and drums.
"It's a tremendously liberating format," Redman says. "Because there's no piano, no dedicated melodic instrument, it gives me and the other musicians so much room to experiment and explore, both melodically and harmonically. But with that freedom comes an awful lot of responsibility."
Redman has a distinguished musical pedigree. His father was the revered tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman, (who played a concert with Pat Matheney last year, months before he died), and his mother, dancer Renee Shedroff, introduced him to music at a young age. Redman took up the saxophone in 5th grade, and later played in the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble.
At Harvard, he earned his bachelor's degree, but not in music. He did play in the big band, however, encouraged by the great tenor saxophonist and Artist-in-Residence Illinois Jacquet.
Redman graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and seriously contemplated law school. But in the meantime he won the Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition and launched his career as a performer and recording artist.

I think this will link you to a performance of Redman's. If not, I'm sorry

http://www.npr.org/templates/dmg/dmg_em.php?id=4627137&type=7&date=&au=1&pid=40643724&random=5631647025&guid=0005C78FDA1F06871194B78261626364&upf=Win32&splayer=sp&mtype=WM&ssid=&topicName=Music&subtopicName=Jazz&prgCode=&hubId=-1&thingId=10361894&tableModifier=&mswmext=.asx

There John and I and Alex and Kathleen are, in the forty-third row, 279th on the left! It was this crowded last night, and we had a great time after the concert eating crepes and being suffocated!

More later...